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Mumbai Eco-Fair

Kolkata Coming back from a day in Bhubaneswar (more on that to come), I kept checking the blackberry for reports from Vinod in Mumbai on the outcome of the ACORN India. Finally, hitting the rain soaked and much weathered Kolkata airport, the reports were coming in.

The numbers were on the button: 300 children and 100 adults. By all accounts a moving experience as our ACORN International members who make their livelihoods as wastepickers in one area after another showed the kids from Dharavi and beyond, exactly how they did their jobs and why it mattered.
The early press reports even before the event had put a lot of pressure on the organizers. One article with a picture in the Hindustan Times blared across the headline announcing the ACORN Foundation Eco-Fair. The follow-up report on Monday from the HT read: “Children Get Insight into How Ragpickers Work” on page 4.
Vinod reported that the all afternoon event was covered by virtually every national and Mumbai-based television network in this city of 15 million. First reading Vinod’s note, it seems like hyperbole when he writes, “…have covered the events sending it to the homes of millions in India and abroad…” but of course even while here believe it or not, you forget the immensity of the population and the echo effect of every action and reaction.
He summed up his brief note saying, “…Mumbai school students have never spent such a more informative and educational day in their life which ended in such a exciting and thrilling manner full of music and colour.” I wish we could have all been there. Pictures are sure to follow.